Carton



E. C. GOERS Sept. 1, 1953 CARTON 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 5, 1951 INVENTOR.

EDWIN CARL qoeRs p 1953 E. c. GOERS 2,650,751

I TOR.

CA 5R6 A TTOigNE Y P 1, 1953 E. c. GOERS 2,650,751

CARTON Filed June 5, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

ww/A/ CARL GOERS Patented Sept. 1, 1953 CARTON Edwin Carl Goers, Wausau, Wis., assignor to Marathon Corporation, Rothschild, Wis., a. corporation of Wisconsin Application June 5, 1951, Serial No. 229,949

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a folding carton and more particularly to a leak-proof folding carton.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved folding carton which is adapted to be set up from a flat folded condition, and when set up, to be more rigid and stable than previous cartons of this general construction. It is a further object of this invention to provide in a carton structure means for retaining side walls in an erected position and more particularly to provide from a single flap extension of said carton improved means for maintaining the carton erected position. It is a still further object of this invention to provide in a carton having a well-known and widely used cover lock means, means for retaining the side walls of the tray portion of the carton in an erected position, which means are provided out of the same element of the carton blank as that from which the cover lock is formed, and thus to avoid great additional requirements of carton-forming material. Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of my invention.

In general my invention relates to a carton construction having a bottom wall, front and rear walls hinged to the bottom wall, and side walls hinged to the bottom wall which are connected to the ends of the front and rear walls by external bellows type flaps or folds. A carton of this structure may be flattened for shipping by folding the side walls onto the bottom wall and then the front and rear walls on top of the side walls. The bellows folds or flaps are open when the carton is in the flat. The carton may be conveniently set up from the flat position by pulling the side walls up to a vertical position which in turn forces the front and rear walls into a vertical position.

In one style of conventional carton of this type the side walls are maintained in vertical position by a single ply strip of board which is glued along the inner surface of the front wall. I have found, however, that the manufacturing tolerances in making cartons are such that this means is very inefficient. An improved structure having a double ply strip of board formed from a single flap is described in a co-pending application, Serial 186,804, filed September 26, 1950. My carton structure is a further improvement on the specific structure therein described.

More particularly, my invention relates to the provision of means for maintaining in erected position the side walls of a carton having a cover lock such as shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,437,835,

these means and the cover locking means being formed from a common element of the carton material, thereby resulting in a substantial saving of carton material while at the same time providing two different locking means. In massproduced items such as cartons of this sort, a slight saving of the material employed, or a minimum additional use of such material when adding improvements, is a favorable economic feature of the very highest order, customarily determining the commercial success or failure of the particular item.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a one-piece blank, with the inside surfaces showing, for forming a carton which is suitably cut and scored to provide a preferred form of the carton of my invention.

Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of a carton made from the blank of Figure 1 in partially erected position.

Figure 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section taken along line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a flap portion of the blank of Figure 1.

Figures 6, '7, 8, 9 and 10 are fragmentary perspective views illustrating a sequence of positions of the flap portion of Figure 5 during folding.

Figure 11 is a section taken along the line ll-l I of Figure 5.

Figure 12 is a section |2l2 of Figure 6.

Figure 13 is a section l3l3 of Figure 7.

Figure 14 is a section taken [4-14 of Figure 8.

Figure 15 is a section I5l5 of Figure 9.

Figure 16 is a section |6l6 of Figure 10.

Figure 1'7 is an end view partly in section of the carton filled with goods showing the cover in closed locked condition.

Figure 18 is a fragmentary plan view of a carton blank of a modification of the carton of Figure 1.

Figure 19 is a fragmentary plan view of the tray portion of the carton made from the blank of Figure 18.

Figure 20 is a section taken along the line 20-49 of Figure 19.

The carton of Figures 1 and 2 comprises a tray taken along the line taken along the line along the line taken along the line taken along the line portion l and a hinged cover portion 2. The tray portion includes a bottom wall 3, front wall rear wall 5 and side walls 5 and l. The front and rear, or central, walls are connected to the side walls by bellows flaps or folds 3 which in the preferred embodiment are integral with the central and side walls, being defined by suitable score lines 9 and it. A diagonal score line H radiating from the intersection of the side walls with the bottom wall and adjacent walls facilitates the folding of the bellows flap or webbing t. Triangular segments 28 of the flaps defined by score lines it and H overlie the outside face of the end or side walls 6 and i and are glued there to as shown more clearly in Figure 2. The adhesive is on the underside of the blank.

The cover portion 2 consists of a top panel i2 hinged to the rear panel 5 and having side walls ii i i and a front or central wall iii. The side walls it and i i are, provided with hinged flaps l6 adjacent the front wall which are adapted to be glued to the front wall l5.

When the carton is knocked down the side walls (5 and "l overlie the bottom wall 3 and the front and rear or central walls 3 and overlie the bottom wall and the side walls. The side walls it and M of the cover overlie the inside face of the top panel l2 and triangular sections thereof 2i formed by score lines 22 permit the front wall Iii to overlie the side walls. To erect the carton as shown in Figure 2 the side walls of both the tray portion and the cover portion are pulled into vertical position which action automatically forces the other walls intoposition. This action of the side walls and the adjacent central walls and the bellows connection between these walls is conventional in cartons of the above type and one feature of my invention relates specifically to locking means for maintaining the side walls of the tray portion in vertical position.

The locking means comprises a flap 25 which is hinged along the top edge of the front wall of the carton by score line 26 and which is folded along a longitudinal score line 27 so that an inner panel 28 lies against the inside surface of the front or central wall t and an outer panel 29 overlies the inner panel 28. (See Figures 2 and 3.) Flap 25 may be glued to wall l. In the embodiment of Figure 2, for example, outer panel 28 of flap 25 is glued at it, about its center, to the inside surface of the front wall in a manner hereinafter described. (See Figure 4.) The length of the flap 25 is less than the length of the front wall by an amount substantially equal to the thickness of the end walls 6 and 3 together with the respective triangular portions 2% of the webbing which are glued to the side walls. By this arrangement it is seen in Figure 2 that each of the side walls when in vertical position is locked behind and abuts the ends of the doubled flap 25.

The carton shown in Figures 1 and 2 is provided with a cover lock of the general type shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,437,835 which cover lock comprises a cover locking flap (is adapted to cooperate with abutment edges 3! provided on the glue flaps it which, as previously pointed out, are glued to the inside face of the front cover panel iii. The locking flap 30 is formed by out lines or slits 3?, 3t and 39 in inner panel 2c of flap 25. The locking flap is thus hinged along score line 26 to the front wall t. Thus it is seen that in the carton shown in the above patent, which carton has found wide and accepted use, I have provided with a minimum of additional carton forming material, means for maintaining the erected position of the side walls of the tray portion of the carton.

The folding of panel 25 to provide the tray side wall locking means and the locking flap 3% may be accomplished in any desired manner. One such manner is illustrated in Figures 5 to 16 wherein flap 25 and a portion of the blank are shown in a sequence of folded positions. This sequence can be produced in a commercial gluing machine. In Figures 5 and 11 the flap and front wall are in a single plane. Then as the carton blank proceeds through the machine panel 29 is engaged by means, such as a plow, which bends the flap 255 upwardly along score line 26. Because flap is severed from inner panel 28 it remains in position. The next step is to engage panel 28 so as to fold it with respect to panel 29. Figures 7, 8 and 9 and corresponding sections in Figures l3, l4 and 15 show the progress of this fold to the final position shown in Figures 10 and 16. When the panels 28 and 29 are folded upon each other, as described above, the other parts of the carton are folded and glued in the conventional manner. During this latter operation the locking flap is turned downward, as by plows, so as to extend forward as is clearly illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4. Because the central portion of flap 22:3 removed to provide the locking fiap 3d, the center of panel 29 lies adjacent the inside surface of the front wall and is preferably glued thereto as at (See Figures 2, 4 and 1'7.)

When the carton is set up with the front edges of both walls 6 and 7 locked in position by panel 25 and the rear ends locked by protuberances as illustrated by wall 7 in Figure 2, it may filled with a commodity, as for example, peas or beans. These protuberances serve to contact the rear end edges of side walls 6 and l and thus prevent inadvertent collapsing of these side walls af er the carton is erected. After filling, the cover 2 is folded over upon tray i. In this closed position (see Figures 17) the cover side walls it and M overlie the walls 6 and '5, including the folds 8, and the front panel l5 overlies the front wall 6. The locking flap 30 resiliently engages the inner surface of front panel 55 and is thus adapted to engage abutment edges 39 if there is any tendency for the cover to open. Thus panel 25 with flap 3!) cut therefrom serves as means both to lock the walls in vertical position as well as to lock the cover in closed position.

By turning over panels 23 and 29 in the manner described, panel 29 has an inherent tendency to extend outwardly from the front wall as more clearly illustrated in Figure 3. This of course is due to the fact that between the point ts where panel 29 is glued to front wall t and the extremities of panel 29 there lies an additional layer of carton material, namely panel 28, and also to the natural resiliency or the carton material. In this manner the locking means has an effective thickness greater than two plies. I have found that variations in tolerance in commercial inanufacture are such that even a double ply flap is often of insufficient thickness to lock consistently the end walls and maintain them vertically.

In the carton structure shown the bellows flaps or folds are integral with the central and side walls but it is to be understood that the webbing may be severed from the side walls 6 and l, as, for example, along score lines It, and secured thereto solely by the overlying glued portions 28. This style is conventional. By having the webbing in: tegral I obtain a leak-proof carton which is particularly adaptable for handling liquid packed frozen foods. Furthermore, though I have described my improved structure for locking the side walls in a hinged cover carton, it is obviously applicable to two-piece cartons and also to cartons or trays without the cover lock feature.

In Figures 18, 19 and 20 is shown a modification of my invention which does not have the cover lock. The carton blank is identical in all respects to that of Figure 1 except that there is no flap 30 cut out of panel 28. The walls are formed and panels 28 and 29 of flap 25 are folded as described above. However, because panel 28 is complete, it overlies the inside of the front wall throughout its length and panel 29 overlies panel 28. Neither panel need be glued, but I prefer to glue panel 28 along its length to the front wall and panel 29 at about its center to panel 28. (See Figure 20.) In this manner panel 29 adjacent side walls 6 and I will extend inwardly from the front wall due to natural resilience of the carton material and provide an abutment at its ends having an effective thickness greater than two plies. Panels 28 and 29 may obviously be secured to front wall 4 by other well-known means, such as by staples, but in order to achieve the effective thickness greater than two-ply adjacent the ends of panel 29 it is desirable that panel 29 only adjacent its central portion be secured to front wall 4 and/or panel 28.

Other advantages and modifications of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. No limitations are intended by the above described embodiment except such as are contained in the following claim.

I claim:

A folding carton comprising a tray and cover hinged thereto, said tray having a bottom wall, front and rear walls, and a pair of opposed side walls, bellows folds connecting each of said side walls to said front wall, a portion of each of said folds being adhered to the outside face of said side walls, locking means on the inside face of said front wall operable to abut said side walls and thus hold them in vertical position when the tray portion is set up, said locking means comprising a flap connected to the top edge of said front wall divided longitudinally to provide outer and inner panels, the inner panel being folded to overlie the inside surface of the front wall, and the outer panel being oppositely folded over upon the inner panel making said flap two plies thickness at its ends, a cover locking flap formed from the inner panel of said first named flap, but cut lines therein, connected to the top edge of said front Wall and folded to extend outwardly therefrom, the free outer edge of said cover looking flap presenting an abutment edge, and said cover having a top panel connected to the top edge of the rear wall, and having side walls and front wall connected to said top panel, and glue flaps on said side walls adhered to the inside face of said cover front wall, said glue flaps presenting an abutment edge for cooperative engagement with the abutment edge on said cover locking flap, the abutment edge on said cover locking flap being adapted to move into abutment with the abutment edge of said glue flaps and maintain compressive stress on said cover locking flap during initial swinging movement of said cover from closed to open position of the carton and thus to releasably retain the cover in closed position and releasably resist opening of the carton.

EDWIN CARL GOERS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 940,941 Putnam Nov. 23, 1909 1,003,510 Reber Sept. 19, 1911 1,503,516 Porter Aug. 5, 1924 2,369,386 Williamson Feb. 13, 1945 2,531,507 Goodyear Nov. 28, 1950 2,545,802 Bergstein Mar. 20, 1951 

